DK35SE No Start No Power Good Battery

[tr0y]

Hi All -

Long time lurker new poster, I have a as the title says a DK35SE 2011-ish era, been and continues to be a great little tractor. Today I ended up with a no power no start situation. I think it is a bad Glow Plug Relay causing the no power issue, but I don't have a manual and can't get one for a couple days, machine broke on Friday at 5PM, so I am hoping some suggestion here might find an answer.

My issue no power to lights, no dash lights, if I turn on headlight switch slight relay clicking, if I turn the key to the on / run position the glow plug relay clicks very rapidly, but no starter etc will turn over.

I have never had any issues with this machine so I just don't know where to start trouble shooting. What I have done is the basic make sure my grounds look good, make sure my positive battery cable is good, battery voltage @ 12.7 I also tried with cables hooked to running truck, no start no power. All fuses in the fuse box are fine.

If anyone can point me in the right direction, I am pretty good with a multimeter and wiring, I just don't know where to start here.

Thanks

 

[Billrog]

Switch a couple of the relays and see if anything happens

 

[TemporaryKubotaOwnerMark]

*sigh*

The clicking relay is a symptom, not a cause. Check your terminals, cables, and especially, grounds. Again. Somewhere, you have a high resistance that is preventing current from flowing in your circuits. It could be a cable that's corroded inside the jacket, or a cracked battery material, or a ground that isn't as good as you think it is. Don't just visually inspect, take things apart and clean them up.

Might even be in the battery itself, but the jump test probably rules that out.

If that doesn't work, get a test light (not a meter) and start working out from the battery terminal, following wires. A meter will sometimes show voltage even when there's a high resistance between it and the battery, but as soon as you put a load on it, the voltage drops, sometimes to near zero. A test light (the bigger the better) puts a bit of load on the circuit and finds problems like that.

 

[tr0y]

Thanks Guys, I will go through it again in the morning. I will report back as I hate threads that the OP never reports the final outcome.

Thanks

T

 

[k0ua]

Troy, pay special attention to measuring battery voltage directly on the battery posts while an assistant attempts to start the tractor. A high resistance connection between the battery posts and the battery terminals, or between the large battery wires and the battery clamps (due to corrosion) or the frame ground bolt connection can all cause what you are describing.

The reason I want you to start at the battery post's themselves, is just because a battery statically measures 12.7 volts does not mean it is "good". I want to see what the battery voltage is while current is being attempted to be drawn from the battery. If the voltage on the posts drops below 10.5 volts when the key is turned on to the glow plug position, then you likely have a "bad" battery. Yes they can easily fail overnight without any warning. Then if the voltage stays up in the range from 10.5 to 12.7 then move out to the battery terminal clamps. Measure the voltage there while the assistant attempts the glow/start procedure. Does the voltage drop there? If so you have a high resistance connection between the battery posts and the battery terminals. This is a common failure. If the voltage stays up there, move out to the starter post, and ground connections. And take a reading there. The wire inside the plastic red and black insulation often fails. This is the case where a wire is not a wire anymore. It is a corroded white and green mess hidden inside the pretty plastic insulation. Trust no one. Don't trust that a battery clamp or a battery wire are good by just looking at them. That wont work. You must verify.

Please report back what you find.

 

[VictorW]

As mentioned, double check those battery cables. My ground to frame looked good but really wasn't. Unbolted, cleaned, used silver anti-size, and all good for 10 years. Also, sometimes the wire inside the insulation will corrode and hard to see but will really drop current flow. Also check/clean the wires on the starter. It does seem like a low voltage problem but the ignition switch has been known to cause various problems in many models. Try spraying some WD-40 into it. A quick fix that lasts for a while if it's gummed up.

 

[TemporaryKubotaOwnerMark]

Troy, pay special attention to measuring battery voltage directly on the battery posts while an assistant attempts to start the tractor. A high resistance connection between the battery posts and the battery terminals, or between the large battery wires and the battery clamps (due to corrosion) or the frame ground bolt connection can all cause what you are describing. .... Don't trust that a battery clamp or a battery wire are good by just looking at them. That wont work. You must verify.

As mentioned, double check those battery cables. My ground to frame looked good but really wasn't. Unbolted, cleaned, used silver anti-size, and all good for 10 years. Also, sometimes the wire inside the insulation will corrode and hard to see but will really drop current flow. Also check/clean the wires on the starter. It does seem like a low voltage problem but the ignition switch has been known to cause various problems in many models. Try spraying some WD-40 into it. A quick fix that lasts for a while if it's gummed up.

All excellent advice! :drink:

Although, CRC Contact Cleaner would be a better choice on the switch. That's what it's made for, and it's good stuff. I always keep some on hand.

 

[tr0y]

Good Afternoon All -

Hey thanks for all the responses and good advice. My DK35SE is running and working again !

Ok so I started with @TemporaryKubotaOwnerMark suggestion and went back through the basic checks of funky electronics. Pulled grounds apart, when through the harness etc.. then I went to pull the battery cables off and low and behold, the + Positive cable that I had off yesterday and seemed fine, broke in half on the back side of the clamp while I was unbolting it. Visually it looked fine but I assume it had finally just given up from being clamped tight for a few years.

So the resolve was as follows, remove positive cable from started solenoid, snake it back and out of the machine, wow what a cable routing, cut off the broken positive clamp, clean wire up real good, replace clamp, snake wire back to starter connect battery and all was like new.

Sorry I forgot to take photos before I tossed the bad clamp but it just cracked into two pieces once it was off this AM.

Thanks again.

T

 

[TemporaryKubotaOwnerMark]

then I went to pull the battery cables off and low and behold, the + Positive cable that I had off yesterday and seemed fine, broke in half on the back side of the clamp while I was unbolting it. Visually it looked fine but I assume it had finally just given up from being clamped tight for a few years.

Bingo!

Sometimes ya just gotta get rough with it! :drink:

 

[k0ua]

Yep, when a "wire" is not a wire any more. Glad you got it going..